This invention relates generally to windshield ice scrapers and, more particularly, to a thermal ice scraper that may be heated in a microwave oven to facilitate the removal of frost, ice, or snow from a smooth surface such as an automobile windshield.
The standard method of removing ice and frost from automobile windshields involves chipping away at the ice with a flat plastic ice scraper that is difficult to hold and ineffective on thick ice. Many people use a de-icing spray to weaken the ice, but this can be expensive and sometimes messy. There is a very high demand for new and innovative means of removing ice and frost from automobile windshields, and car owners everywhere would welcome any improvement made to the standard ice scraper.
Some improved models, however, have other drawbacks. Electric heated ice scrapers are known in the art, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,679, U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,425, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,176, but they require electricity from the automobile, are sometimes difficult or cumbersome to use, and are often expensive. Other electric heated ice scrapers are battery operated, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,646, but batteries are expensive and can leak, which causes safety concerns and can potentially ruin the scrapers. Additionally, other products that improve upon the standard ice scraper by adding features such as a snow brush or a squeegee are usually too large to conveniently store in the vehicle, too expensive, or simply not useful.
Microwave ovens offer a fast and easy way to heat materials that can be used to supply heat to another object. In general, these materials are either a gel or another moist substance that contains some water and retains heat. Popular uses for such materials include hot packs for muscle pain relief and for keeping food warm. U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,257 uses a microwave-heatable material placed directly on a windshield to defrost the windshield, but it has poor scraping characteristics; when its material cools off from use, it must be reheated in the microwave to continue clearing the windshield.
Therefore, it is desirable to have an ice scraper that transfers heat to windshields to aid in snow and ice removal, is heated in microwave ovens to provide its source of thermal energy, does not require electricity from automobiles or batteries, has good scraping characteristics, is comfortable and easy to use, can be conveniently stored in vehicles, and is relatively inexpensive.